N.J. Troopers Reach Deal with State

Published 8:00 pm, Thursday, January 10, 2002

Two state troopers who wounded three unarmed minority motorists during a traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike have reached a plea bargain with the state, a defense lawyer said.

James Hogan and John Kenna are expected to plead guilty to a lesser charge Monday in state Superior Court, lawyer Robert Galantucci said. The 1998 shooting sparked widespread debate about racial profiling by officers.

Sources said the proposed plea bargain would allow the troopers to avoid jail.

State prosecutors and defense attorneys have long been close to a plea deal, but both sides wanted federal authorities to pledge not to bring their own prosecution.

"It's over. There will be no prosecution from the federal authorities," Galantucci said Friday.

The two troopers are charged with attempted murder and assault.

The four men _ three black, and the fourth is Hispanic _ were pulled over for speeding as they headed to a North Carolina college to showcase their basketball skills in hopes of getting scholarships.

The officers, who are white, said they fired 11 shots at the vehicle because they feared driver Keyshon Moore was going to try to run them over as they approached on foot. Moore was uninjured, but the other three were wounded. LeRoy Grant and Danny Reyes were hospitalized for 13 days and Rayshawn Brown for two.

State officials on Friday didn't immediately return a call for comment. Last year, the state agreed to pay $12.9 million to the four victims.

Galantucci, who represents Hogan, refused Friday to disclose the exact details of the plea agreement. Sources close to the negotiations have told The Associated Press that Hogan and Kenna will plead guilty to charges including official misconduct and falsifying records.

The troopers would serve probation under the deal, sources said. They would also be forced to resign and barred from ever holding jobs as police officers in New Jersey.

Hogan and Kenna are also charged with lying on police records. Officials charge that they falsified reports to hide the fact that they were singling out minorities.

The two had been scheduled to stand trial on those charges first.

Defense lawyers and the state are still working on the exact wording of the plea agreement, Galantucci said.